The present invention relates to a method for integrated display of the parameters of an adaptive cruise control device.
Adaptive cruise control devices generally include a distance sensor group, an evaluation unit, an input and output unit, and a control device. In such devices, a desired speed can be set via the input unit, the desired speed being set and retained by the control device, if the traffic so permits. Therefore, a constant traveling speed can be set very easily by use of such a cruise control system. However, the traffic density does not always allow the set, desired speed to be maintained. If there is traffic driving ahead, an adaptive cruise control device helps to automatically maintain a certain safe distance. This legally stipulated safety or trailing distance is a function of the speed, so that a speed-dependent trailing time is also frequently used. To that end, the distance of a motor vehicle driving ahead is determined from the propagation delay of emitted signals, by use of the distance sensor group. Then, the speed can be determined by either a differential measurement or directly from the Doppler shift. Since not every motor vehicle driver wants to drive with the same trailing distance, newer adaptive cruise control devices allow a trailing distance to be set inside a certain range. For the information of the motor vehicle driver, all of these set parameters and detected parameters must now be represented on an output unit designed as a display.
For example, such a display for representing various parameters is described, for example, in German Published Patent Application No. 195 39 799, where a detected motor vehicle is represented in the form of a pictograph. The size of the pictograph becomes larger with decreasing distance in order to visually emphasize the approach. The set, desired speed, the actual speed, and the speed of the detected motor vehicle are represented in an integrated bar chart by a graphical display. A disadvantage of this type of display of parameters is that a certain degree of abstraction is required, which makes it more difficult for the driver to obtain a quick overview of the current control situation.
Therefore, the present invention is based on the engineering problem of providing a method for the integrated display of the parameters of an adaptive cruise control device, by which the parameters can be displayed so that the parameters may be determined quickly and easily by the motor vehicle driver, based on the stress resulting from normal driving.
According to the present invention, the set, desired speed is initially represented alphanumerically on the pictorial horizon of the display. In addition, a detected motor vehicle driving ahead is represented in the form of a pictograph. The speed of the motor vehicle is alphanumerically displayed in its pictographic representation, in case this is less than the set, desired speed. The traffic lane, in which the vehicle in question and the vehicle driving ahead are located, is also represented symbolically. A dynamic bar, the length of which symbolizes the position relative to the control target, is disposed inside this lane. This results in an integrated display of all parameters, which graphically symbolizes the control correlations from the perspective of the driver. Furthermore, the dynamic bar disposed inside the traffic lane allows a quick tendency estimation, from which the control interrelationships can be determined quickly and easily, so that critical situations can be recognized sooner and so that one can appropriately react early.